Titanium Stakes

[SikaHuntaa]

Anyone gone with titanium stakes for their shelters? Serious cost vs weight savings but have been considering it for awhile now

 

[Dave0317]

If you aren’t familiar with Andrew Skurka, you should be. I always look to see if he has a write up on a gear choice im considering. Tons of experience and also very methodical in his approach to this stuff.

Top picks: Stakes & guylines for backpacking tents, tarps & hammocks

Stakes & guylines are a critical component in a shelter system, but are treated like an afterthought. I share my favorites & preferences.

andrewskurka.com

Save two ounces (total difference in a set of 6-8 stakes TI vs AL)and maybe have a more finicky less secure stake? Im sticking with the Y shape AL for me.

I also use the Easton/MSR cores sometimes. More just a matter of convenience and dirt type than weight savings though.

 

[Poser]

I tried titanium for awhile and destroyed the stakes too quickly to justify their expense/weight savings. The results can very wildly from area to area and dependent upon how much you are willing to baby them during installation. My area is extremely rocky and I don't tend to have the patience to baby them. Aluminum are more durable, semi-repairable and expendable so that's what I use.

 

[eamyrick]

Appreciate this info. Have also considered dropping weight on stakes as I’m trying a BD Mega Lite this season but since it relies on staking I’ll rely on the standard Y shape and rocks.

 

[thegoosano]

I’ve made diy carbon arrow pegs by repurposing broken arrows. They’ve worked very well and weigh 0.1oz. Need a better tip design, but other than that they’ve been strong enough to hold down my tarp tent stratospire in 40-50mph winds up at 13k ft.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SikaHuntaa]

Those look pretty sweet! Are you always selective with where you put them in and how much pressure you apply to them?

 

[thegoosano]

Ya in anything but really compacted rocky soil they’re great. The carbon can crush but if you really smash them into something hard but even then they’re still pretty useable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[thegoosano]

Ya in anything but really compacted rocky soil they’re great. The carbon can crush but if you really smash them into something hard but even then they’re still pretty useable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[taskswap]

Save two ounces (total difference in a set of 6-8 stakes TI vs AL)and maybe have a more finicky less secure stake? Im sticking with the Y shape AL for me.

Great advice. I landed the same way. The y-shaped AL stakes are very cheap and even cheap generic brands are almost as good as the 10x-the-price versions. They work well in a lot of different soil/ground types, and the types they don't work in nearly all require some non-stake solution anyway like a rock or sandbag. And they're already like 80% of the way to "lightest stake possible". You can save more weight with a lighter belt for your pants by the time you get into this micro of a territory.

 

[SikaHuntaa]

You aren't wrong there mate, however no belts are required when ya wear shorts and long johns, also saves a heap of the weight of the pants there too.

I have my gear list dialed to be around 9KG total IN pack. Without food obviously, so pretty happy but lost some stakes and saw some titanium ones online that were intriguing

 

[Blockcaver]

I’ve made diy carbon arrow pegs by repurposing broken arrows. They’ve worked very well and weigh 0.1oz. Need a better tip design, but other than that they’ve been strong enough to hold down my tarp tent stratospire in 40-50mph winds up at 13k ft.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Found some aluminum roofing nails years ago. Cut them in half and epoxied the nail tip in one end of the 4mm carbon shaft and the nail head into the other end. Still working well for my sil tarp years later. I am careful driving them in.

And my local hardware store quit stocking aluminum roofing nails too.

 

[longrangelead]

I carry a few of each, Y alum, L Ti and Ti nails.
as much for weight as Ti is stronger the Alum. so far I haven't had any problems with Ti, bent too many alum stakes to count so I carry a few to sacrifice if needed.

The alum stakes that really irk me have all three ribs notched at the top for tie off. The top just bends over there the first time it hits something hard.

 

[SikaHuntaa]

Yeah I bought some Easton nail ones a few years ago and they didn't last long, was a bugger cause they weren't cheap once shipping got involved haha